Sacrifice
by GabrielleE
Summary: When Chloe dies, Lucifer makes the ultimate sacrifice: Returning to hell to save the woman he loves. But soon it becomes clear that heavenly forces had a hand in Chloe's death to force the devil back to hell. Bent on extracting revenge, Lucifer is prepared to tear down heaven and earth to reach his goals. (You can find more of my works on Wattpad - Username: GabrielleEstres)
1. Chapter 1

She lingered in the shadows, watching him as he played a soft tune on the piano. She knew he was aware of her presence, even though he did not acknowledge her.

„What is it Maze?" He asked finally, making no effort to hide his irritation.

Pressing her lips together, Maze stepped out of the shadows. He continued to play the piano as she slowly descended the staircase down to the main floor of the club. She closed the distance between them, standing so close behind him that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. She watched him silently for a moment, grimly fascinated by how his fingers coaxed soft sounds from the instrument - such a mundane, mortal activity, but also strangely fascinating, even to her.

Pressing her lips together in grim determination she placed a slender hand on his shoulder. He stopped playing, turning his head to her, his dark eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at her. "Whatever it is Maze, spit it out."

"Your little pet has been shot. She is dead Lucifer."

The change in him was immediate, the illusion of humanity gone in an instant. His eyes blazed red with fury, his handsome features contorted by rage. He launched at her with inhuman speed, grabbing her throat and hurling her against the wall, hard enough to break her spine if she had been human.

"Who?" His eyes flashed dangerously, his voice was tense with supressed rage.

Maze groaned, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him closer to her, arousal glittering in her eyes. "It was Malcolm. Your little pet finally got the evidence to turn him in, but he was faster. He made short work of her - bullet in the heart, sending her straight to hell…"

She smiled, her tongue trailing slowly along her teeth. Lifting her hand, she let her long fingernails trail down the side of his face, savouring the rage she glimpsed in his eyes. "She is yours now, if you still want her. You can have her, possess her in any way you desire."

With a growl, he pushed her away from him onto the ground, his eyes flashing dangerously. "How dare you."

"I know you want her. I can see it in your eyes. Take back your rightful place and you can have her. If you don't Amenadiel will take what is yours. Imagine how he will make her scream…"

She stiffened as he stepped closer, towering above her, his eyes flashing dangerously. "How dare you Mazikeen, how dare you taunt your master?"

She knew that he could destroy her with less than a thought, no matter how mortal he had become, she was still his creature, his creation and he could destroy her as easily as he had created her. But if her destruction restored him to his rightful place she would gladly welcome it. She could never allow the balance of light and dark to depend on Lucifer's brother. He was too weak, unable to harness the powers of darkness, tempted by the power he now wielded in Lucifer's stead. He would soon loose himself in to it.

"You know why Lucifer… I can see in your eyes that you love the girl, even though I will never understand why. But your responsibility is not only to her, it is to all of mankind… Do not let your brother take your place, he will destroy the balance that you have maintained with such care." She whispered, her voice suddenly soft, the hard look in her eyes gone.

He looked at her, his dark eyes resting on hers. "My little demon, wiser than even the devil himself… but even if I wish to save Chloe or all of mankind for that matter, the gates of the underworld are closed to me - I renounced my throne, I am no longer the master of hell."

She shook her head slowly, pushing herself up from the floor and stepping closer to him. "No, they are not, I kept the doors open for you, guarding them, hoping that you would return…"

Swallowing hard, she reached for a small silver box and held it out to him. "I have kept this for you, knowing that one day you would need the power that you forsook so lightly."

He took it, opening it slowly. A grim smile on his lips, he reached for the single white feather, holding it up before his eyes.

"This is how it ends then…" He laughed bitterly. "Who would have thought… the lord of hell driven back to his lair by his love for a woman."

He looked at Maze, as if he truly saw her for the first time, then he bowed his head ever so slightly. "Thank you Maze."

She looked at him silently for a moment, then she lifted her hand, placing it against the side of his face. "I have made a vow Lucifer and no matter what you believe, I have always been loyal to you. I cannot understand why you care for the mortal, but I will stand by your side until the end of days, no matter which path you choose."

"I know Maze." He said softly. "And I am grateful for it."

Then he closed his hand around the feather, his eyes suddenly turning hard again. "Bring me Malcolm, I want to make sure that he is waiting for me in hell when I return."

"Consider it done." She said, a wicked smile spreading across her face, anticipation shimmering in her eyes

He watched her as she walked up the stairs and left the club. When the door closed behind her with a shattering sound he turned back to the piano. Slowly he let his hand trace along the soft, warm wood of the instrument, savouring the feeling. Smiling almost imperceptibly, he placed the feather on the dark wood of the concert grand, regarding it silently. It looked so fragile, so innocent, it seemed almost impossible that such a delicate object could hold the power of Satan, the power that was rightfully his, the power that would save the woman he loved.

Taking a deep breath, he lifted his right hand, his fingers spread wide - the feather was swirled in the air, as if it had been hit by a gust of wind. It started to glow softly and suddenly erupted in fire, floating in mid air.

"Then let it begin." He whispered, his eyes fixed on the floating white feather.

The room suddenly became dark – and then he stood on a lake of fire, the air around him filled with the pained, terrified screams of lost souls, burning in the eternal fires of hell, pleading for mercy.

Flames flared up around Lucifer, forming the outline of wings. His eyes glowed red as he spread his burning wings, their fiery tips brushing against the shadowy figures, driving them back into the darkness.

* * *

Maze pulled the struggling man down the wide staircase, her inhuman strength no match for him. She forced him roughly down onto the hard marble floor, an unholy smile spreading across her delicate features, making her look like a vicious gorgon.

Lucifer watched from the shadows, leaning casually against a massive pillar. He felt her eyes rest on him, waiting for him to act. He knew she could feel his power, even though it was carefully hidden behind a human mask.

Lazily he directed his gaze to the man kneeling at her feet and he felt the anger boil up in him again. He would make him pay, for all eternity. Stepping out of the shadows, he crossed the room, his hard gaze resting on Malcolm. Lucifer stepped closer to the kneeling man, grabbing his hair and forcing him to meet his eyes.

"Tell me detective, how should I punish you?" He asked, his voice pleasant, as if he was having a conversation at dinner.

Malcolm looked up a Lucifer with distain. "Are you trying to threaten me Morningstar? Don't forget that I have powerful friends. They will crush you. You'll beg for death when we're done with you."

"You underestimate me detective…" Lucifer replied conversationally.

"I don't fear you Morningstar." Malcolm spat, his lips curling into a disdainful smile.

"We will see about that detective." Lucifer laughed, cruel amusement dancing in his eyes.

Malcolm wanted to reply, but Lucifer looked at Maze, giving her a silent command. Maze's hand closed around Malcolm's throat, turning his words into a hoarse rattle. Dragging him up to his feet, she grabbed his hair with her free hand, holding him in place, making sure he could not avert his eyes from what was to come.

Lucifer's eyes flashed red, his humanity melting away, revealing Satan's demonic face.

"But maybe you are right, fear is not even coming close to the feeling you will experience. Oh no, you will quiver in terror when I drag you down to hell with me."

Malcolm screamed, a desperate, shrill sound. Lucifer simply chuckled, slowly stepping closer to the trembling man. Maze looked up at him, her eyes shining with sadistic delight as she watched Lucifer in his hellish rage, his eyes still gleaming red, his handsome features contorted with rage.

Malcolm was sobbing now, tears and snort dripping from his face. "Oh no, oh god, please have mercy…"

Lucifer stepped closer, grabbing the man's hair. "Ah, invoking his name will not save you. You are mine. I will take you to hell with me and make sure that you suffer until the end of days, writhing in agony, screaming for mercy that will never come."

Malcolm whimpered, struggling against Maze with all his might. "No please…"

Lucifer chuckled, brushing across his hair like a lover would do. "Ah, this is only the beginning, don't spend yourself just yet, there is so much more fun to be had."

Letting go of his hair he stepped back, watching calmly as Maze broke the detective's neck.

* * *

Chloe awoke from a terrible nightmare. She had been shot. She had been undercover in a club, observing the guests from a dark corner, trying to spot Malcolm's contact. And then there was Malcolm, taking an envelope from the stranger. He opened it briefly to count the money, then he turned and left through the back door. She had everything to nail him down. She ran after him, out into the dark. He had waited for her, expecting her. It had been a trap. He did not even wait for her to speak. He had simply shot her.

Groaning softly, she tried to fight the pain and weakness she felt. This was one hell of a nightmare. She wanted to reach for her mobile, but her hand found only cold stone.

With effort, she opened her eyes. She was lying on stone, the sharp corners of the rock cutting into her skin as she moved. Sitting up, she looked around. She was completely alone on a windswept plateau, surrounded by a raging fire.

She heard the agonised screams of the bodies that were writhing in pain as they were burned by the flames. She shook her head - this could not be true. It had to be a dream, a continuation of her nightmare. Cold terror was slowly creeping up her spine and along with the fear, realisation slowly crept into her dazed mind. She was truly dead and this was hell.

Suddenly the flames parted, making way for a hooded figure, which approached her slowly. It stopped for a moment, observing her silently, then it came closer, lowering itself down on one knee before her.

Chloe's watched in horror as Mazikeen lowered her hood, turning her head slightly, revealing the hideous burnt flesh on the right side of her face.

"Don't look so shocked little mortal, we are not even scratching the surface of the horrors that surround you. Now come, he has commanded to bring you to him." Mazikeen said, a cold smile on her lips.

Chloe shook her head, backing away from her. "Stay away from me."

Maze simply laughed, almost amused at the gesture.

"Don't worry detective, he will not let me have his little pet." She said, getting up to her feet. "But trust me, it will not stop me from dragging you to him if you don't move right now."

Chloe struggled to her feet, cold fear filling her as she followed Maze through the parted fire onto a bridge that led to what seemed like a grotesque castle, rising in the middle of a fiery lake.

She followed maze across the bridge, time seemed to have no meaning here and she could not say whether their walk had taken a minute or a day until they stood in front of a pair of bronze doors. Each of the two massive doors was adorned with images of torture, depicting the torments that awaited the sinners in hell. The doors opened before her without a sound and she stepped into the vast room, leaving Maze behind.

Fear crept up her spine – she knew instinctively that this was the heart of hell, the place where Satan himself resided, presiding over his dark domain.

She looked up, her eyes following the columns of black stone, that rose like beanstalks into the air and formed a bizarre dome high above her head – like a grotesque, diabolical imitation of a cathedral. Flames flickered along the columns. The quivering light seemed to fall on thousands of unseeing eyes, reflecting in their lifeless debts. Naked fear seized her when she finally grasped the full horror of what this structure truly was - the entire diabolical palace was built out of naked, winding, agonised bodies - the twisting limbs turned to stone as a terrible reminder that the sinners would suffer until the end of days, their torment as eternal as the black stone itself.

At the far end of the room stood a throne, made up of naked, twisting bodies, their limbs encased in black stone that looked like it had been molten in the fires of hell. She half expected him to sit on it, but it was empty. She stepped closer, her eyes fixed on their grotesquely distorted faces that were forever frozen in in stone.

Tearing her eyes away from the terrifying throne, she turned back to the doors. He was leaning against a pillar, observing her silently.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER II**

"Lucifer…" The word left her lips before she could stop herself, fear making her voice tremble.

"Detective - I never imagined you to turn up on my doorstep. Care to tell me what brought you here?" He asked, a slight tone of mockery in his voice, his eyes narrowing as he studied her.

She stared at him, paralysed by fear, unable to speak or move. Seeing that he would not get an answer to his question, he pushed himself away from the pillar and walked over to the steps that led up to his hellish throne. He lowered himself onto the step, stretching his long legs leisurely before him and holding out his hand, wordlessly inviting her to sit with him.

She stared at him. He looked so normal, so human, as if he had just stepped out into the streets of LA. It would be so easy to sit down beside the man she knew and trusted - to give in to the illusion, to loose herself in it. She looked into his eyes, fighting the temptation to simply give in to him, to let herself be fooled by his mask.

He lifted his head, silently returning her gaze and for the briefest of moments she saw through his mask, seeing the pure, unrestrained evil burning deep inside him. She backed away from him, a tremor of fear running up her spine. She wanted to run, to scream for help, but she knew it was in vain. There was nowhere to go and no one to help her. She was completely at his mercy. Whatever he chose to do to her, she would not be able to fight it.

"Come now detective, I thought we established a long time ago that I do not frighten you, so let us not start with this now. Sit with me, for old times sake."

"Why should I trust you…?" She whispered, averting her eyes from him, desperately trying to fight the dismal fear that was raging in her chest.

He smiled, lowering his hand, giving up on the notion that she would join him. "Aside from stating the obvious fact that you do not really have a choice in the matter… Have I ever given you cause to fear me?" He asked her, his voice gentle, the mockery gone from his tone.

She looked at him, slowly shaking her head. "No, you have not."

"And yet I see nothing but fear in your eyes." He said softly.

He studied her for a moment, then he pushed himself up from his sitting position, stepping closer to her, almost close enough to touch her if he stretched out his arm.

"Men fear what they do not understand Chloe, this will never change. You see the world as good or evil, right or wrong - but in truth heaven and hell, darkness and light, God and Satan, they are two sides of the same coin, the two forces of the divine, a duality, where one cannot exist without the other."

"And yet you represent the dark side of this duality…"

"I do, but never forget Chloe, I am also the bringer of light, the bestower of knowledge, the avenger of the innocent…"

She shook her head, her eyes resting on him. "It is also said that you are the source of all evil, the great manipulator, the father of lies - how can I ever trust you, how can I know that you speak the truth?"

He smiled at her comment. "You will never know Chloe, but I told you once before, I never lied to you and I never will." He held out his hand to her, his eyes resting on hers. "You have nothing to fear."

She hesitated a brief moment, then she placed her hand in his. Closing his hand around hers, he pulled her closer. Reaching up with his left, he gently brushed the blond locks from her face.

"Now tell me Chloe, why are you here, which sin weighs so heavily on your soul that you ended up in the deepest, darkest circle of hell?" He asked, his voice gentle, as if not to frighten her.

"Please don't…" She shook her head, her chest heaving with supressed emotion.

"Chloe, I am the master of hell, I am bound by divine law to pass judgement on every soul that sets foot in my domain. Do not compel me to force the truth from you."

She closed her eyes, nodding slowly. "I killed the man that shot my father – I stopped him before he could kill someone else, but…"

"But you did not mean to save his victim, you wanted revenge." Lucifer said softly, his dark eyes resting on hers.

"Yes. I wanted to see him dead. I wanted him to pay for what he did to my father." She whispered.

She looked at him and for a moment she saw darkness flash in his eyes, a diabolical greed that made her skin crawl.

"Ah the thirst for revenge – it runs so deep in the human soul, corrupting it, growing stronger every day until it is sated. You tried to fight it, did you not? And when he finally died at your hand, you felt joy, not at having saved a life, no, you felt joy at having ended his."

She averted her eyes, unable to meet his gaze, fear running up her spine at his words – the truth was painful, even after all these years.

He placed a hand under her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "And you do not repent."

"No, I do not…" She whispered, her eyes meeting his.

He smiled softly, letting go of her chin. "Which makes you mine until the end of days."

She looked up, her eyes full of fear. "What will happen now?"

He chuckled softly, his eyes fixed on her. "This would be the part where the judge reads the verdict. However, I have not returned to the fires of hell to watch you burn in them and as much as I am tempted to keep you here for my own amusement, I decided to send you back."

She shook her head slowly. She had seen the look in his eyes, the diabolical greed, Satan's insatiable hunger for the souls of men. - Was this some diabolical game he was playing with her – a sick, twisted way to torment her?

She looked up at him, her eyes seeking his. "Why spare me?"

"Let us call it sentiment, a favour to a friend."

She shook her head slowly. "The devil never bestows his favours without asking for something in return…"

He smiled, bowing his head to her ever so slightly. "No Chloe, he never does."

She wanted to reply, to object, but her vision blurred suddenly and she felt weak. And then there was only darkness.

* * *

Time slowed down. He watched her, lying on the hospital bed. Her face was pale, the white bandage soaked in her blood. The little girl sat at the side of the bed, her face covered in tears as she stared at the flat line on the monitors.

Walking around the bed, Lucifer placed a hand on the girl's hair, as if to console her, his fingers brushing gently across the dark locks as he passed her.

Standing at the foot of the hospital bed, he let his eyes rest on Chloe. Then he stretched out his hand and suddenly the room grew cold and dark. His eyes glowed red as he watched her body convulsing violently, his power flowing through her, forcing her soul back into her lifeless body. He lowered his hand and her body stilled. Stepping closer to her, he placed his hand on her forehead, drawing his mark with his finger.

"I will watch over you Chloe." He said softly and then he was gone.

Trixie shuddered, reaching up into her hair. It felt like something had brushed against it, very lightly. Then there was suddenly a loud beeping sound, as the flat lines on the monitor started to move again, rhythmically jumping up and down.

* * *

"What did you do?" Maze stared at him, her voice full of fear.

"Ah Maze, the heart works in mysterious ways…" He replied, lowering himself onto his hellish throne.

"But you gave her more than your heart, did you not?" She whispered, her eyes meeting his – and what she saw there made her skin crawl.

He chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming darkly, reflecting the fires of hell that surrounded them. "You know Maze, this whole thing, it is just a game. He and I, we are bound by the same rules, endowed with equal strength. We measure our strength, knowing that neither can win until one of us dares to make the ultimate move, placing all the chips on the table, prepared to end the game for good." He leaned back in his throne, his right resting leisurely on the broad armrest. "His last move truly was a masterstroke. But now the time has come to make mine."

"And you are planning to place all the chips on the table…" Maze said slowly, her eyes fixed on his.

"Yes, I do." He said, his voice hard.

"And you chose her…" Maze whispered, her eyes wide.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER III**

Her head rested on the soft pillow. The sharp scent of disinfectants assaulted her nostrils. She was in pain, every inch of her body was in terrible agony. She groaned.

"Mommy." She felt Trixie's hand against her arm.

Opening her eyes she looked at her daughter, relief flooding her.

"Oh Trixie." She whispered, raising her hand and placing it against her cheek, caressing it softly.

"I was so worried that you'd never wake up again." Trixie said, her eyes still red from all the tears she had shed.

"Don't worry Trixie, I'm here. I'll never leave you alone. Promise…" Chloe whispered, her voice still hoarse from the lack of use.

The door opened. Chloe turned her head to watch two doctors step into the room. "Hello detective Decker. My name is Dr. Redford, this is my colleague Dr. Hancock." The older of the two men said, nodding courtly at her.

Chloe simply nodded weakly in response, watching as Dr. Redford walked around the bed and pulled up a chair, sitting down beside her.

"You have made a very surprising recovery detective Decker, you were clinically dead for over a minute and to see you like this is a miracle. I have never seen anyone walk away from such an injury - You must have some guardian angel watching over you." He said, studying her pensively. "If you don't mind, we will have to run a few tests, nothing major for now, simply testing your reflexes and responsiveness. Would you mind looking into the light?" He said, holding up a small, long flashlight and aiming it straight at her eyes.

He nodded, satisfied with her reaction. "Please try to grab my thumb with your hand." He said, offering her his hand.

Chloe placed her hand against his and closed her fingers around his thumb. He nodded again. "Very good."

"Can you remember what happened on the day you were shot?" He asked.

Chloe looked at him, trying to remember. "No, I don't. I… I remember leaving my house and then waking up here…" She whispered, feeling a sudden unease.

Dr. Redford nodded. "The mind often suppresses traumatic experiences as a method of self preservation. It's nothing to worry about, the memory usually returns within a matter of weeks." He said, getting up from the chair and turning to the door. "We'll keep you here in the ICU for the next few days and depending on the progress of your recovery we can then discuss a transfer and following that maybe even an early release."

"Thank you doctor." She said, watching as the two men left the room, leaving her alone with Trixie.

Exhausted, she let herself sink back into the cushion, closing her eyes while she held Trixie's hand, trying to remember what had happened that night. Her mind was completely blank and however hard she tried to remember, there seemed to be no memory of the night's events, nothing but a fleeting sense of fear.

* * *

"John, we have to get rid of her, before she makes any more trouble. She already got to Malcolm and whoever finally managed to take him out, must be working with her. So go in there, get the name of the guy and finish her." The man said, staring darkly into the night.

"She's still in hospital, shouldn't we wait until we can get close to her without any trouble?" John asked, staring at the man sitting beside him.

"No John, we do it now, before she can be questioned. They'll switch staff in fifteen minutes; this is the best moment to do it. Her brat is still in there, so you have to take care of her as well. Make it quick."

John smiled, checking his silencer. "No worries pal, its not the first time I'm doing this. I know my job." He said, making sure that the gun was fully loaded, then he reached for the door. "Okay, I'm good to go. I'll be out in twenty. Wait here, make sure the car's running in case we need to run."

Opening the door, he got out of the car quickly. Hiding the weapon under his jacket as he ran across the street towards the hospital. He swiftly crossed the atrium and walked straight over to the elevators, trying not to attract any attention. Pressing the button for the fifth floor, he made sure that his jacket covered his batch. Moments later, the doors opened with a soft ping and John stepped out into the corridor, walking straight through the heavy glass door that separated the ICU from the rest of the ward. The acid smell of disinfectants assaulted his nostrils as he stepped into the long corridor.

"Sir, excuse me, can I help you?" An attractive, dark haired nurse asked, stepping out of the staff room and closing the door behind her.

"No, I'm okay thanks. I left my car keys here when I was visiting earlier, I just need to pick them up." He said, smiling as he passed her.

"Okay, no problem." She replied, returning his smile as she turned to the exit, pushing open the heavy glass door.

Turning the corner, he stepped into a deserted corridor. He briefly looked over his shoulder to make sure he was alone, then walked to the very end of the hallway. Pressing himself against the wall, he briefly looked into the room behind the windowpane. The detective seemed to be sleeping and the girl was sitting with the back to the door. The situation was perfect. He pulled out the gun.

Suddenly the lights wavered and went out. The blue emergency lights kicked in almost immediately, barely illuminating the corridor and the tall figure that was standing at its end, staring right at him.

John raised his gun, pulling the trigger twice. He was sure that he had hit him, but the man did not move. Swearing, he started to walk in his direction, aiming again. But before he could pull the trigger, the figure lifted its hand, waving it dismissively.

John dropped his gun, gaping for air, suddenly unable to breathe. He clawed at his neck, desperately trying to fight the invisible force that was crushing his windpipe and chest. Cold fear ran down his spine as he watched the man step from the shadows, slowly walking in his direction, his dark eyes filled with sadistic delight as he watched his victim struggle for air.

He radiated evil. John tried to back away from the terrifying figure, but he was unable to move, paralysed by some demonic power that was holding him in place. John whimpered, the pressure around his neck and chest increasing with every step the man took in his direction, slowly squeezing the life out of his body. He moaned in pain as he felt his ribs snap under the pressure, blood slowly filling his lungs.

Suddenly, the man's dark eyes flashed red. A sharp , unbearable pain shot through his body - he felt like he was burning, his insides consumed by a raging fire. He wanted to scream - but no sound left his lips. Terror seized him as the man stepped closer to him, his demonic eyes resting on his. Raising his hand, he tapped his index finger lightly against John's forehead, watching him crumble to ash.

"Ashes to ashes and dust to dust." He muttered softly, stepping over the small pile of ash on the floor as he adjusted his cufflink.

Walking down the corridor, he flicked his hand lazily and the overhead lights flashed back on. Stopping in front of the door at the very end of the corridor he reached for the handle and stepped inside. Trixie looked up, a smile on her face.

"Lucifer! You came!" She whispered excitedly, jumping up from the chair and giving him a hug.

He was momentarily paralysed by her overt show of affection, his body rigid as he placed his hand on her hair, looking down at the little girl that had wrapped her arms around him affectionately.

"Shh, little one, let's not wake your mother." He said softly, peeling himself from her grip with gentle determination. Walking around the bed, he pulled up a chair and slowly lowered himself into it, his eyes fixed on Chloe.

Trixie watched him for a moment, then she returned to her chair, her eyes still glued to him.

"What happened to you, you are all dirty…" She asked curiously, her eyes resting on the dark spots of ash that covered his shirt.

"Oh, you know, I had a little fight, nothing serious." He replied dismissively.

Trixie beamed. "A proper fist fight? Did you win?"

"Of course, I always win." He replied, amusement glittering in his eyes.

"And what did you fight about?" She asked, dangling her legs from the chair.

"Something that's very precious to me." He replied gently, his expression suddenly serious again as he turned his attention to Chloe.

"They said she's going to be okay. She'll have to rest for a while but they're sure that she can come home soon." Trixie said, reaching for Chloe's hand, patting it softly. "She can't remember what happened though."

"She will in time." He replied, his eyes fixed on Chloe's face. Hesitating for a brief moment, he reached out, brushing the messy blond locks from her face.

"You like her, don't you?" Trixie said, beaming at him.

He chuckled softly, turning his eyes to Trixie. "Ah I begin to grasp what Maze sees in you little one. Speaking of which, I brought you something, a gift from Maze to be precise." He held up a small pendant that was dangling from a delicate chain.

Trixie's eyes widened. "A necklace…" She whispered excitedly.

"It is a talisman, but it only works as long as you keep it on." He said gently, placing the chain in her hands.

"You mean it's a lucky charm?" Trixie asked breathlessly, holding it up into the light.

He smiled. "Something along these lines."

"Thank you!" She beamed, placing the delicate chain around her head and looking down at the pendent with unrestrained delight.

Directing his gaze back at Chloe, he watched her silently for a moment, then he got up, turning to the door.

"Are you leaving already? You only just got here!" Trixie asked, looking at him reproachfully.

"I have to little one, there are things that I must do." He said, reaching for the door handle.

"What things?" She asked curiously, turning around in her chair and fixing her eyes on him expectantly.

"Housekeeping…" He offered, mirth twinkling in his eyes as he looked at her.

"You are funny." Trixie said, beaming at him delightedly.

"I am glad that you think so child." He said dryly, finally opening the door. Taking a few steps down the corridor, he vanished into thin air.

* * *

Lucifer stared into the night sky, his gaze fixed on the morning star. His symbol, the tale of his fall preserved in the skies for all eternity. The brightest light in heaven forever trapped in the abyss of hell. He smiled bitterly. The fallen one had risen from the abyss, only to be driven back to it by love.

Chloe was his now. They had tainted her, sullied her innocence and blackened her soul to lure him back into the abyss. The way to redemption would be an arduous one for her, but he would make sure she made it all the way to the end of the road. And while he saved her, he would extract a terrible revenge on his father. He would make him pay for his betrayal.

Smiling darkly, he directed his gaze down at the city, watching the figures far below him in the street – living their hollow lives, seeking cheap thrills in a pointless attempt to make their dismal existence worthwhile. They were all his, readily offering up their souls to the darkness as they blindly searched for the meaning of their lives, not realising that they gradually descended into a sea of immorality, depravity and excess until it was too late.

"For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." He whispered softly.

Suddenly he felt the soft tingling sensation that announced the presence of his brother.

"Amenadiel, here to enjoy the show?" He asked, not turning around to the figure that suddenly appeared behind him.

"Are you truly prepared to do this brother?" Amenadiel asked, unable to hide the undercurrent of fear in his voice.

Lucifer chuckled mirthlessly, his eyes fixed on some point in the distance. "Ah brother, I am surprised that you even dare to appear in my presence. You, who forced me back to hell by sending her into the abyss. You, who led a soul astray in his name, luring her into sin by offering her the chance for revenge – and when she took it, you made sure that she would die at the hand of this abject creature you dared to bring back from my realm."

Lucifer turned slowly, facing his brother, his dark eyes full of hatred as he continued. "You deprived a soul of its chance for salvation Amenadiel, there is no greater sin than that. So I reclaimed what was mine to restore the balance that you damaged so uncaringly, offering her the chance that you denied her – to repent, to be absolved and to be saved."

"I chose her because she was the only thing binding you to earth. I knew that her death would restore you to your rightful place. You played and you lost brother - you can not bring down the world simply to assuage your need for revenge, you can not make mankind suffer for your defeat."

Lucifer's eyes gleamed red with fury as he watched his brother. "You will find that I can Amenadiel. Do not forget who I am. I will have my revenge and I will enjoy it every step of the way. I will tear down all that is precious to you and burn it in the fires of hell."

Amenadiel backed away from him, fear flashing in his eyes. "Lucifer, I did not make her do these things, she acted of her own volition. I do not make anyone do anything."

Lucifer chuckled mirthlessly. "Oh brother, neither do I. I only set the stage, I pave the way to ultimate destruction, but men have to follow the path that I offer of their own volition. The decision is theirs alone." Turning back to the balcony, he rested his hands on the balustrade, looking down at the people far below him. "Look at them, God's perfect creatures and let us see how they fare when they are tested."

"You rejoice at watching them fail Lucifer…"

"No brother, I do not, if they prove worthy I am more than happy to cast the dice again and play another round." He replied.

"But you do not think that they are, do you?"

"I would be very surprised if they were."

"You think them unworthy, yet you sacrificed yourself for the girl, to give her a chance to redeem herself and to make sure that her soul enters into heaven."

"I intend for her to do more than simply be absolved and go to heaven brother." Lucifer replied, his eyes shining darkly.

Amenadiel shook his head, suddenly understanding what his brother was alluding to. "You would not dare to do this Lucifer."

Lucifer chuckled softly at the horror in his brother's voice. "I have every intention to do so. I love the irony of it, don't you? You played right into my hands, who am I to shun a gift like this."

"We will stand against you brother." Amendaiel said threateningly.

"Oh I most certainly hope so, where would the fun be otherwise?"

"You will regret this." Amenadiel said, his eyes flashing dangerously as he spread his wings, vanishing into the night.

Lucifer's eyes followed his brother for a moment, and then they returned to the street below. "Let the game begin."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER IV**

 _There was fire all around her. Terrifying, inhuman screams seemed to come from the flames. Her entire being was filled with fear and then there was only darkness –_ Chloe opened her eyes, her body covered in cold sweat, her hands still trembling from the nightmare.

She listened to her hammering heart, taking slow, deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. It was just a nightmare, a side product of the medication no doubt. Slowly, her heartbeat abated and she felt calmer, but the strange feeling of unease remained.

She sat up slowly. Her mouth was dry and felt like something had died in it. She reached for the glass of water that was standing on the nightstand beside her. It tasted foul, but she drank it anyway. Placing the empty glass back on the nightstand, she suddenly registered how quiet the hospital was. The lights in the corridor were dimmed and save for the soft beeping of the heart monitor, everything was silent.

Turning her head, she looked out of the window watching the sunrise on the horizon. Suddenly the first sunrays fell into the room, almost blinding her. The light broke the spell, driving away the nameless fear that seemed to hover over her. She felt like an invisible weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

She squinted her eyes, looking directly into the sun, listening to the distant sound of birds. She contemplated for a moment to try to get up and open the window.

Before she could make good on her plan she was interrupted by agitated voices outside in the corridor. She could hear footsteps and the metallic rattling of a hospital bed that was being pushed along the corridor, pulling her back to reality.

"I'm not sure he's going to make it, the damage is substantial, but there is nothing more I can do for him at this stage." A male voice said. "Jenny, get me the head of the ICU please, he will take it from here."

"I've already paged Dr. Redford." A female voice replied. "He's on the way and should be here any minute."

Chloe craned her neck, trying to see what was going on in the corridor through the large windowpane of her room. But the frosted glass strips in the middle blocked her view. She could hear more hurried steps coming down the hallway.

"What are you bringing me here Tom?" She heard Dr. Redford ask.

"Name is Jimmy Barnes, forty-seven, severed carotid artery. Was sent here from the psychiatric ward of the state prison - Suicide attempt after a delusional episode. Surgery was successful. Vitals are stable, but not possible to make a prognosis for the next twenty-four hours. We've given him Propofol 2%, 20 mg, injected at 3.24am today, but no Herapin, given the severity of the wounds and blood loss. Here's the file."

"Jimmy Barnes, the producer who is accused of having his ex-fiancée murdered?" Dr. Redford asked back, curiosity in his voice.

"Yes exactly. Apparently he had been screaming that the devil had come to get us all before cutting his throat with a shard from a broken mirror. Very messy, can barely believe that the guy survived with a wound like this." Tom said, lowering his voice by a fraction, apparently not wanting to be overheard by any of the nurses in Jimmy's room.

"Well, then lets make sure that the devil doesn't get him." Redford replied, his voice fading away as he walked into the room opposite hers.

Chloe felt her heart hammer against her neck. Jimmy Barnes, the man that had Delilah killed. She remembered him vividly. But it was not the image of him shooting her that had burnt itself into her mind; it was the image of him, smashing his head against the windowpane of his cell. The thought still made her shudder.

She wondered again what had caused a completely sane person, with no previous record of mental illness, to loose his mind so completely. There had been a brief investigation into the events surrounding his arrest, but the inquiry had been closed after a day, clearing Lucifer and herself of any inappropriate conduct. However, the investigator had found traces of cocaine in Jimmy's blood and concluded that Jimmy had suffered a drug-induced hallucination that - together with the stress and potentially an undiagnosed but pre-existent psychiatric condition - had eventually driven him to insanity.

She had initially believed that Jimmy had simply tried to escape justice by feigning insanity and going for mental disorder defence, until she had seen him.

She remembered to fear in his eyes, the absolute terror when she had mentioned Lucifer's name. – _"He's the devil! He's the devil!"_ The words still made her shudder.

And now he was here. Hovering on the edge of death because he believed the devil had come to get him.

* * *

Olivia Monroe picked up the phone, slightly annoyed at being disturbed during a lunch meeting. "Monroe."

"Lieutenant Monroe, this is detective Hastings speaking. You better come in Ma'am. We have a murder-suicide. Three dead bodies…"

"Can't you deal with this yourself Hastings?" Monroe asked, slightly annoyed.

"Ma'am, the perpetrator was the last visitor Jimmy Barnes received before he tried to kill himself. We think he may be the cause for his suicide attempt. The press is all over it."

"Dammit. I will be right there." She replied, hanging up the phone and smiling at the man sitting opposite her. "I'm so sorry Jim, I have to cut our lunch short – something urgent has come up."

„No worries Olivia, I understand. I'll get this." He replied, smiling at her as he rose from his chair to kiss her on the cheek.

"I'll make it up to you." Olivia replied, forcing a smile onto her face as she reached for her handbag.

Cursing under her breath, she made her way through the restaurant to pick up her coat. Tossing her number tag and a tip onto the small silver plate, she nearly ripped the coat from the waiter's hands and threw it over her shoulders. The man only stared at her in silent disbelief and opened the door for her. Stepping out into the street, she flagged down the first taxi that came in her direction.

"LAPD headquarters on 100 West, 1st Street please. Make it quick." She said, getting into the taxi.

The drive took over twenty minutes and Olivia felt herself getting increasingly annoyed. Barnes was a high profile case, bad enough that he almost managed to kill himself while in custody, but now it seemed he had also received crazy, suicidal visitors while under her watch – even though he was not allowed any visitors apart from his lawyers, medical staff and law enforcement officers. The press was all over it. If this went wrong, she would be back in her crappy, fourth floor office. This was disastrous.

Paying the taxi driver with a fifty, she opened the door, not waiting for the change. Detective Hastings already walked in her direction, carrying a thick manila envelope under his arm. He greeted her courtly, accompanying her back into the building. He remained silent until they stepped into the elevator and out of earshot from any potential eavesdroppers.

"What are we dealing with Hastings?" Olivia asked, pressing the button to the eleventh floor.

"Murder-suicide. We have three bodies, two female victims and a male perpetrator. No indication for any third party involvement. We have yet to identify his two victims, but the perpetrator was Jacob Williams, he used to work as a street performer – impersonating some kind of end-of-days preacher. He suddenly disappeared two months ago and resurfaced yesterday, when he visited Jimmy Barnes. According to the visitors log, they spoke for about fifteen minutes, then he left and killed the two victims as well as himself. The crime scene was… gruesome, I have never seen anything like this before." He said, handing her the file.

Olivia opened the folder, sucking in the air sharply as her eyes fell on the first picture.

"What the hell is all this?" Monroe asked, staring at photograph, trying to fight the sense of unease that suddenly crept up her spine.

"Frankly, I am not quite sure. We've already engaged a couple of experts, but none of them have been able to make any sense of it. The whole thing may just be the product of a crazy, delusional mind, but with three dead bodies, a suicide attempt and the press at our backs we have to look at it with some care." Hastings replied.

"Okay, I want all hands on deck. Put together a task force. We also need to make a press statement. Then reach out to Decker's civilian consultant, I understand he's quite an expert on religious symbolism." Olivia said, closing the file and looking at Hastings.

"Of course Ma'am. There is only one small problem regarding Decker's civilian asset." Hastings replied, following the Lieutenant out of the elevator.

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked, unable to keep the annoyance from her voice.

"We have reached out to him, but it seems Morningstar has resigned from his position last night and is not available for any mandates."

* * *

 _Malcolm was standing in the middle of the club, putting a wad of cash into the inside pocket of his jacket. Then he moved swiftly over to the exit. She was sure he had seen her. Cursing under her breath, she pulled out her gun and followed him out through the back door. He stood right behind the door, pulling the trigger with a smile on his face, the bullet hitting her squarely in the chest. Suddenly there was fire all around her. Terrifying, inhuman cries filled the air. Her entire being was filled with fear and then there was only darkness …_ – Chloe opened her eyes, her body covered in cold sweat, her heart beating hard against her neck.

It was Malcolm. He had tried to kill her. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, trying to calm her racing heart. Her hands were trembling. Cold fear was running down her spine. There was more, but it was all a blur – The fire, the screams, the fear…

She closed her eyes again, forcing her mind to focus, trying to recall whatever it was that had happened. It was there, just beyond her reach. Her head began to spin and she felt sick. She retched, trying to fight the urge to vomit. In panic, she reached for the oval metal bowl beside her bed and threw up.

She groaned, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Trying to calm her breathing, she remained in her cramped up position until the heaving had stopped. Slowly the dizziness receded and the trembling of her hands stopped, but the uneasy feeling remained, like an invisible weight pressing down on her chest.

She felt agitated. Knowing she could not go back to sleep, she pushed herself up, slowly rising from her bed. Pulling on a hospital nightgown, she stepped into the sterile white slippers that had been placed beside her bed and made her way to the door. Her legs still felt wobbly and she had to lean against the wall for support. Waiting a moment until she was sure her legs would carry her, she opened the door and stepped outside into the corridor.

She walked slowly along the dimly lit hallway, her mind still circling around her disturbing nightmare. Suddenly she heard a soft, whimpering sound. She turned around. It was coming from Jimmy's room.

She considered for a moment to call a nurse, but then she walked back across the hallway and pushed the door open. He was sitting on the bed, a thick bandage around his neck, staring vacantly into space, his body swaying back and forth.

"Jimmy, are you okay?" Chloe asked, stepping into the room.

He looked at her, shaking his head, his eyes staring at her in horror. Suddenly something in his gaze changed. It was no longer the crazed, delusional look of a madman, but the calm, collected gaze of a completely sane person.

"He's coming…" Jimmy whispered, his voice unnaturally hoarse as he forced the words from his mouth under obvious pain.

His words made her shudder. "Jimmy, what's wrong?" She asked, walking over to him.

"He's here. He has come to take us all." Jimmy said, his voice perfectly calm, even though his chest was heaving with the effort of speaking. "He's going to come for you detective…"

"Who's going to come Jimmy?" Chloe asked, more insistently now.

"Satan…" He whispered, a gurgling sound coming from his throat.

"Satan doesn't exist Jimmy." She said insistently, taking his hand in an effort to calm him.

"He does… you know him…" He whispered, forcing the words from his trembling lips while the bandage around his neck started to turn red with the blood oozing from his wound.

Chloe felt panic rise in her chest. She reached for the call button, pressing it frantically.

"Shh Jimmy, Lucifer is just a man…" She said, gripping his hand firmly, trying to keep him calm.

Jimmy began to whimper in terror at the mentioning of his name, the look of insanity returning to his eyes, his pupils suddenly diluted, his hands shaking as he grabbed her sleeves. "He knows I'm here. He knows I'm talking to you. He doesn't want me to talk. He'll come…"

She heard someone running down the corridor. "Misses Decker, please step away from the patient." The nurse said, running into the room.

Chloe staggered to her feet, watching as Jimmy trashed around in his bed, more blood seeping into the bandage around his neck. The nurse reached for pager, frantically pressing the red button at the top. She could hear hurried steppes coming down the corridor. A heartbeat later Dr. Hancock stepped into the room, rushing to Jimmy's side. Lifting his hand, he took his pulse, then he lifted his eyelids, pointing the flashlight at them.

"Give him 10mg haloperidol-promethazine Jenny, I need him quiet, he'll kill himself otherwise." Dr. Hancock ordered, pressing Jimmy into the cushions, trying desperately to keep him from moving.

Chloe stared at the horrifying scene for another moment, then she backed out into the corridor. Another nurse hurried to her side, taking her by the arm. "Misses Decker, you are not supposed to be up. Please, let me get you back to bed."

* * *

She lifted her hand and pressed it against the searing hot bronze of the gates. Closing her eyes, she willed them to open. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the vast space beyond the gates. The doors closed almost soundlessly behind her and then there was complete silence. Nothing could exist here, not even sound. The souls who came here faced the ultimate punishment, turning to stone under the devil's gaze, dying the final death, the death of the soul. No one had ever left these halls, save for one. She pressed her lips together, fighting the sickening feeling of jealousy that raged in her chest.

Suddenly she felt his presence, the darkness he brought with him, it resonated deep within her.

She closed her eyes for the briefest of moments, trying to calm her raging thoughts, trying to keep them from him, even though she knew it was in vain. She could not hide from him. She turned slowly around, bracing herself for his reaction, dreading what he would say.

"What brings you here Maze?" He asked softly, stepping from the shadows, his gaze lingering on her.

Something akin to relief flooded her. He had spared her the humiliation and she was thankful for it. She looked up at him, her only seeing eye meeting his dark gaze, resting on his face.

"It has begun Lucifer." She said, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "The mortals you have touched, those that have seen you, they can feel it. They are desperately trying to escape you by killing themselves."

He chuckled softly. "Ah, these pitiful creatures, blindly throwing themselves into the abyss they seek to escape."

"Your brothers are trying to fight it Lucifer." Maze said, a note of concern in her voice. "Amenadiel is forcing your little pet to relive the memories of the night she was shot, hoping that she remembers what else she saw that night. He wants to turn her against you."

Lucifer spread his wings, the cold, even features of his face suddenly contorted by rage, his eyes gleaming red with anger at the mention of his brother's name. "I will crush him."

"What if he succeeds?" Maze asked, her eyes resting on him, her chest heaving as she watched him in his hellish rage.

Lucifer smiled coldly, the anger in his eyes fading slowly as he stepped closer to her. "Oh Maze, do not fret, Amenadiel is powerless against me. She will not be able to remember, not truly, she will know that there was something, something that terrified her, but she will not be able to recall it until I lift the veil."

"Why are you keeping it from her, she will have to face the truth soon enough anyways?" Maze asked, the tone in her voice bitter.

"I do not want her to fear me. I need her to trust me and to follow my lead willingly until the very end." He replied, watching her intently.

"Then why did you even reveal yourself to her? You could have sent her back without her even laying eyes on you." She asked, shaking her head.

He smiled. "Ah Maze, because I needed her to be in my debt, I needed her to owe the devil a favour."

Maze closed her eyes for a moment, pressing her lips together bitterly. "All of this to protect her…" She whispered.

He looked at her, the faintest trace of surprise in his eyes as he studied her. Then he lifted his hand, allowing it to trace along the damaged skin on the right of her face. "Jealousy does not become you Maze, you will always hold my favour, nothing will change that."

"But it is the light that you crave – beauty, perfection, love…" She whispered, the ruined flesh slowly mending itself under his touch.

"No Maze, I want you just like this." He said, placing a kiss on her lips, his hand twisting almost cruelly in her hair as her perfect flesh rotted away under the touch of his lips.

"The darkness is yours Maze." He said, letting go of her.

"And she gets the light…" She whispered.

He smiled almost imperceptibly, the aura of darkness around him receding, his wings fading away as he slowly morphed into his human form.

"What are you doing?" She asked, stepping away from him.

Adjusting his cufflink, he winked at Maze. "It's time to pay a little sick bed visit."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER V**

The soft, sucking sound of the respirator and the rhythmical tone of the heart monitor were the only sounds in the room. Lucifer stood at the foot of the bed, his eyes resting on Jimmy's pale face. His chest, covered in a plain, green hospital gown, heaved up and down from the air that was artificially forced into his lungs, otherwise he was still as a corpse. Lucifer stepped closer, his eyes trailing along the sickly outline of the man's face. - He should have died when he had lain hand on himself, his pale flesh should have been rotting in the ground by now, but his brother had intervened, his blessing the only thing that kept his wretched heart beating.

Lucifer stretched out his hand and stopped, something had suddenly changed, a barely noticeable shift in the air. He smiled softly as he lowered his arm, not turning to the tall, blond man that suddenly appeared behind him.

"You know that you cannot protect him Gabriel, he is mine." Lucifer said, his eyes fixed on the sleeping man before him.

"I have not come to save the mortal's life brother." Gabriel replied, his icy blue eyes fixed on Lucifer. "I am here to speak to you."

Lucifer chuckled mirthlessly, shaking his head with feigned amusement at his brother's words.

"There is nothing you can do to stop me Gabriel. You watched as Amenadiel forced me back to hell, desperate for me to reclaim my throne so he would not have to take my place. Now, that I have done what you wanted me to do, you come here to stop me?" Lucifer asked, his voice cold and sharp as he finally turned around to his brother, taking in his tall form and the glowing, white wings that protruded from his back.

"Please brother, let me speak…" Gabriel said, raising his hands in a soothing gesture.

Lucifer lifted his hand, cutting his brother short.

"There is nothing you can do Gabriel, you had your chance, you made your choice, now I have made mine and my decision is final." He said, anger edged into the hard lines of his face as he looked at his brother.

Gabriel shook his head, placing his hand on Lucifer's arm. "Please Lucifer, Amenadiel was a fool, blind, unseeing, never considering the dire repercussions of his actions…"

Lucifer stepped away from his brother, glancing at his hand that rested on his arm with open distain.

"Amenadiel used her to lure me back to hell. He tempted her into killing her father's murderer and then, when she had laden her soul with the guilt of taking another's life, he ended hers, denying her the chance to redeem herself, condemning her to hell and forcing me back into the abyss to save her. You wanted me to embrace the darkness. I have done so for her sake. You will have to deal with the consequences." Lucifer said, barely repressed anger flickering in his dark eyes as he spoke.

Gabriel pressed his eyes shut for the briefest of moments, as if to gather strength for what he had to say. "Lucifer, the choice was hers. She pulled the trigger, she chose to kill him and even more importantly, she chose not to repent."

Lucifer laughed softly, his cold eyes resting on his brother as he slowly lowered himself into a chair, looking at his brother like a king would at an uninvited supplicant. "Ah, you see brother, that is the issue – the divine balance gives men a lifetime of choices and a lifetime to repent them. Amenadiel only gave her the choice to commit a sin, but he took her chance for penance by ending her life – he sullied her purity, condemning her to hell to force me back to it."

"He only did what he thought was the right thing brother." Gabriel replied, stepping forward.

Lucifer rose from his chair, every movement slow and deliberate. "Amenadiel's actions tipped the balance in favour of darkness. You can feel it, can't you brother, the world is unhinged, spinning out of control... I have no choice but to restore what he tore down so carelessly."

"I know Lucifer, but you can choose how to restore it."

"I have chosen the way. I accepted my place, I am ready to play my part and trust me bother, it is not a performance to be missed."

"Are you truly prepared to do this just to ensure that Chloe Decker's soul goes to heaven? Are you truly prepared to bring down everything just for her? Your responsibility is to all of mankind, not only to her brother. What about everyone else, all those innocents that will suffer, don't they at least deserve a chance?"

"What happens to her is all that matters Gabriel. Her redemption is the only one I care about." He said, turning back to Jimmy.

"Lucifer, he is under Amenadiel's protection, you can not…"

"You will find that I can brother, remember what the book says will come to pass… You cannot fight me, none of you can. Here, on the mortal plane, my power is… absolute." He lifted his hand and placed two fingers against Jimmy's forehead. "It is time to abandon all hope, for I have come to claim you."

Jimmy opened his eyes, looking up at Lucifer. The bandage around his neck turned dark with blood and a silent tear ran down his face as he died.

* * *

Chloe looked out of the window, the sky was covered in black clouds and lightning flashed across the sky. She felt a cold shiver run up her spine – it felt like the dark clouds were heralding the coming of something sinister. Swallowing hard she directed her eyes back up at the white ceiling of the hospital room, her thoughts circling around Jimmy Barnes. The soft knock on the door startled her and Chloe snapped back to reality as the door opened slowly. Fighting the dizziness, she lifted her head, watching the small, dark haired nurse step into the room.

"You have a visitor Misses Decker." She said, blushing softly as she turned around to let Lucifer into the room. "Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you Mister Morningstar."

"Of course, I will, thank you very much Jenny." He replied, giving her a playful smile before tuning to Chloe.

"Well, well detective, you look ravishing in green." He said, gesturing at the hideous hospital nightgown she was wearing. "I trust you're recovering well?"

"Yes I do, to everyone's surprise it seems." Chloe replied, smiling at him.

"Marvellous." He said, pulling up a chair as he stepped closer to her.

"I'm glad you came." She said softly, watching him as he lowered himself into the chair gracefully.

He smiled at her, genuine delight shining in his eyes at her words. "I have to make sure that my partner is all right, haven't I?"

Chloe looked at him, something about him seemed different. Off. She could not quite place her finer on it. He seemed to have more… gravity for a lack of a better word.

"Has something happened, you seem… different?" She asked, narrowing her eyes as she looked at him.

"Nothing at all detective. Still my old charming self." He replied giving her smile, placing his hand leisurely on the armrest of the chair.

She looked at him silently for a moment. Somehow it seemed that his frisky playboy demeanour no longer really fit him, like he was acting.

"A penny for your thoughts…" He said drily, giving her a smirk.

"They're not worth that much." Chloe replied, shaking her head. "By the way, Trixie told me you were here before to visit while I was still unconscious."

"Of course, I had to make sure you were in capable hands." He replied, his dark eyes resting on hers.

She wanted to reply, but her words were cut short by a noisy commotion in the corridor. There were shouts and hurried footsteps outside. Chloe turned her head to see a doctor and two nurses hurrying over to Jimmy's room.

"What's going on Jenny?" The nurse said, leaving the room swiftly to catch a nurse that was just hurrying out of Jimmie's room.

"Jimmy Barnes, he's dead." Jenny replied, gripping her colleague around her upper arm and stopping her from looking into the room. "Don't go in there, it's quite disturbing. There is blood literally everywhere, like he was bled out…"

Chloe buried her face in her hands, feeling sick. – Jimmy Barnes was dead, he had killed himself because he thought the man sitting at her bedside was after him, because he had believed that Lucifer was truly the devil and that he had finally come to claim his due. She shivered, listening to the agitated voices with closed eyes. Suddenly the door clicked softly and the agitated voices in the corridor turned to a muffled, indistinguishable sound. Looking up she saw Lucifer, standing by the door. Anger was etched into the lines of his face and for the briefest of moments his eyes seemed to glow with an eerie light. Then the illusion was gone. He turned to her, his face perfectly calm, a soft, caring smile spreading across his lips.

"Ah, so much for patient confidentiality." He muttered, walking back to her bedside and lowering himself into the uncomfortable looking plastic chair.

Chloe could feel her heart beating against her neck as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. She stared at Lucifer, a fleeting feeling of fear running down her spine.

"What is going on here Lucifer…?" She whispered, her voice trembling softly.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER VI**

Lucifer regarded her for a long moment, then he shook his head.

"Chloe, you need to rest, you should not let the fate of a murderer upset you." He said softly.

"He killed himself because he was afraid of you Lucifer. Did you give him any reason to?" She asked, looking him directly into his eyes.

He pressed his lips together, slowly leaning back in his chair as he regarded her. "Chloe, you saw what happened the day he tried to kill you, you tell me if that is enough reason for someone to kill himself."

Chloe shook her head, suddenly feeling silly. "I'm sorry Lucifer, I didn't mean to accuse of…"

"No need to worry Chloe. But I must be on my way now. I'll check in on you again tomorrow. Don't do anything stupid in the meantime." He said, giving her a wink as he rose from the chair and swiftly made his way to the door.

* * *

Chloe stared at the white ceiling of the hospital room, her thoughts circling around Jimmy Barnes. Suddenly the door opened and Chloe snapped back to reality as a nurse stepped into the room.

"Misses Decker, detective Hastings from the LAPD is here and would like to ask a few questions. Are you feeling rested enough to see him?" She asked.

Chloe nodded. "Please send him in. Thank you."

Detective Hastings stepped into the room, giving her a court nod. "Hello Chloe, hope you're feeling better."

"Thanks Thomas, recovering well. Here about the statement I've made on Malcolm?" She replied, giving him a weak smile.

"No Chloe, this is something different." He replied, stepping over to her and placing a thin envelope on her bedcover.

Chloe stared at the files that detective Hastings had placed in her lap. Her headache had cleared the moment she had flipped through the file.

"Look, we wouldn't pull you in if this weren't important. Lieutenant Monroe is on the warpath. " Hastings said, gesturing at the files she was holding.

Chloe nodded. "It's okay Tom, I know Olivia, no need to apologise. So tell me, what's going on?"

"The guy that died in the room across the hall was Jimmy Barnes, he was the guy that…"

"I know who he is Tom, he tried to shoot me and now it seems he killed himself."

"Well then at least you know why I am here. The press is all over this, but even worse, we have a triple murder suicide. The perpetrator was some kind of religious fanatic, Jacob Williams, he used to work as a street performer – impersonating some kind of end-of-days preacher."

"What has this to do with Jimmy Barnes?"

"Well, Williams was the last person to visit Jimmy. Two hours later, the preacher killed two people and shot himself. At the same time, Jimmy Barnes tried to commit suicide."

"That can just be a coincidence…"

"I doubt that." He replied, pulling out a folder and placing it on her blanket.

Chloe picked it up and opened it carefully. She stared at the picture on the first page, barely able to comprehend what she was seeing. The photo was showing a wall, covered in paper snippets, pictures, drawings of crosses, pentagrams and other symbols and in the middle, there was a page containing a single word, written in bold, capital letters: MORNINGSTAR.

She starred at the pictures. "What the hell is that?"

"These are notes made by Williams..." He said, handing her another picture. "And this is what Jimmy Barnes wrote on the wall of his cell, with his own blood when he tried to kill himself the first time."

Chloe felt sick as she stared at the single word that Jimmy had drawn on the concrete wall of his cell: MORNINGSTAR

"Have you spoken to Lucifer about this?"

"Your partner resigned last night, we have not been able to get hold of him since then."

"What? He was just here, today, he didn't even mention that he resigned."

"Well, we will bring him in for questioning as soon as we can get a hold of him. Let me know if he turns up here."

* * *

Chloe signed the papers with a vigorous scrawl, smiling at the nurse as she handed her the thick stack of papers.

"Thank you detective Decker. Please remember that you are checking out against orders and I do very strongly recommend that should you have any problems that you come straight back to hospital." The nurse said, looking at her reproachfully, making it very clear that she thought her absolutely foolish to check out of hospital against the advise of Dr. Redford and his team.

Turning around, she saw Dan walking into the atrium, Trixie at his side. She smiled at him, picking up her small bak and walking over to the two.

Bending down, she gave Trixie a kiss and looked up at Dan. "Thanks for coming Dan, I really appreciate it."

"Of course Chloe. But are you sure you really want to go home. You are taking a huge risk be checking out so early."

"No worries Dan, I feel quite good. The wound is healing well, everyone was really pleased by the progress I've been making. So don't worry, its completely safe."

Dan smiled at her sceptically. "Then let me drive you home Chloe." He said, taking her by the arm and leading her out to his car.

They sat silently beside each other, each lost in their own thoughts on the way back to Chloe's home. Dan stopped the car in fron of Chloe's house and hesitating for the briefest of moments, he turned to her, regarding her silently for a moment. Then he shook his head, pressing his lips together in frustration.

"Chloe, look, I wouldn't tell you this in your condition but… Hastings pulled me in on the case he is working on and the thing is really spiralling out of control. We have another crazy suicide a couple of hours ago. You remember the girl that had faked her own kidnapping, Lindsay. She cut her wrists after being admitted to a psychiatric facility this morning. Before she died she was screaming that Satan was here to get us all. Before she killed herself she wrote the word MORNINGSTAR on a piece of paper."

Chloe shook her head, staring at Dan in disbelief. "What…"

Dan lifted his hand, interrupting her. "Chloe, I want you to stay away from Lucifer until his matter is resolved."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII**

Chloe sat on the plush carpet in the middle of her living room, staring at the photos and case files that were spread out around her. A cold shiver ran up her spine as her eyes found Lucifer's name written in blood on the white wall of Jimmy's holding cell. None of this made sense.

Biting her lip she hesitated a moment, then she reached for her mobile, swiftly typing Lucifer's number. Her finger was circling over the dial button. She hesitated a brief moment, shaking her head. It did not feel right.

"I have to do this myself…" She whispered, swiping away the dial window and ordering an Uber instead.

She gathered up the case files and stashed them into an old manila folder, then she pushed herself up from the floor, groining softly at the pain she felt in her chest. Trying to ignore the faint pain in her chest and the weakness of her legs, she shrugged on a leather jacket and walked over to the door, leaving her house just in time to watch her Uber arrive. Walking over to the black car, she let herself slump into the backseat, gasping for breath as the pain in her chest suddenly started to intensify.

"Where to miss?" The driver asked, turning around and eying her suspiciously.

Clenching her teeth together, Chloe pulled out the folder that Hastings had left her. Flicking though the pages, she finally found what she had been looking for.

"Drive me to Nuestra Senora Reina de Los Angeles." Chloe ordered, her voice sounding much surer then she felt.

The driver pulled out into the street and Chloe closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the traffic outside as her mind circled around Lucifer. Something in him had changed profoundly, she had noted it even during his short visit at the hospital. His light, playful comments seemed like an act, like he was trying to hide something from her and she thought that she had glimpsed what it was when she had seen the look of cold fury in his eyes as he closed the door at the hospital. She barely dared to admit it to herself but what she had glimpsed there had terrified her.

The car stopped suddenly, forcing her back to reality. Giving the driver a court nod, she opened the door and stepped out onto the pavement, her eyes tracing along the façade of the church across the street. She needed answers and this was probably the only place where she could get them. Biting her lip she hesitated for a brief moment, wondering whether she was going insane. But If she did not do this now she would never have the courage again. Gritting her teeth in determination, she crossed the street and entered the church.

She walked into the church, a sudden stab of pain in her chest making her wince. The strong scent of incense and burnt candles assaulted her nostrils as she walked down the centre nave of the church. An old priest was standing in front of the altar, arranging everything for the mass that he would undoubtedly read later on. Upon hearing her footsteps, the priest turned around, his keen grey eyes coming to rest on her. Giving her a court nod, he stiffly descended the two steps down from the elevated area around the altar. "What can I do for you child?" He asked in a clear, strong voice that surprised Chloe.

"Good evening father. I'm detective Decker, LAPD. I… I have come here because I am in need of some… guidance regarding a case I am working on." Taking in his brittle appearance that did not fit with his strong deep voice.

"Of course child, god has always an open ear for those in need. Tell me child, what troubles you?" He asked, gesturing for her to accompany him to one of the benches.

"Father, I am not here for spiritual guidance, I am here because I need your… expertise on religious matters." Chloe replied, watching as the priest lowered himself on the wooden bench.

He nodded, watching her as she took a seat at his side.

"Are you a religious person detective?" He asked, studying her carefully.

"No I'm not father. I don't believe in god. I…" She trailed off, suddenly feeling guilty, not knowing why.

The priest nodded, smiling gently at her. "What can I help you with detective?"

"You see father, we are working on a case or several cases for that matter that all seem to be interconnected. There were suicides, three so far and each of the… victims has left behind a message, a single word: Morningstar. We know that it stands for the devil, but beyond that we cannot make any sense of why people with seemingly no connection to each other suddenly kill themselves and leave behind the very same message before they die. The only other evidence that may shed some light on this is the notebook of one of the victims – a preacher. Does this mean anything to you father?" Chloe asked softly, pulling a sheet from the manila envelope and handing it to the priest.

Chloe noted how badly the old priest's hands were shaking as he took the photograph from her hand, his grey eyes narrowing slightly as he stared at the image of Jacob William's notes.

Chloe leaned forward, pointing at the sentence written at the very top of the page. "One of the victims repeated this sentence all over his notes, it appears everywhere, dozens of times." She pointed her finger at the page. "Satan will be the god of this world. What does this mean?"

"This is from the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, often referred to as Second Corinthians, it is the eighth book of the New Testament of the Bible. It speaks about the end of the world." He looked at her.

"And what does it mean?" Chloe asked, trying to fight the dizziness she suddenly felt.

"It is said that at the end of days mankind will have become blind to god's light. In these final days, mankind will no longer follow the teachings of god but listen to false prophets sent to us by the lord of hell. Thus, in the end, Satan will hold absolute sway over the world, making him in the metaphorical sense the god of this world – the one-eyed king ruling over the blind if you will."

The priest hesitated a moment, then he pointed at the sheet he was holding. "You see here." He pointed his finger at a scribbled sentence in the corner of the photograph. " _The white rider will dispense justice_ – Your victim seems to have been a believer in something that is heavily debated among the various Christian churches. This interpretation of the book of revelations essentially claims that the first rider of the apocalypse, the rider on the white horse, is the antichrist or Satan himself. At the end of days, the devil will walk the earth to test mankind, bringing with him sickness, war and despair. If mankind proves worthy of the test, the devil will return to his lair in the underworld, waiting to return another day, thus giving mankind another chance to redeem itself."

"And if mankind doesn't prove… worthy as you put it?" Chloe asked

"Then he will bring about the end of the world." The priest said, his voice eerily calm as he spoke.

Chloe shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "So you are telling me that sometime soon the devil will rise from hell and bring us the apocalypse…?" Chloe asked, trying to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

"No detective, he is already here and has begun his work."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII**

"All right… So you're saying that our victims all shared your… believe that the devil is … ahm… walking the earth and about to destroy mankind with some cataclysmic event…" Chloe said slowly. "How would they get such an idea?"

"The signs are everywhere – from the stars in the sky to the very ground you walk on. Can't you feel it?" He asked, looking at her intently.

Chloe shook her head, trying to fight the growing irritation she felt. "No, I can't father. I'm a rational person, I don't go with gut feelings."

"Tell me detective, have you looked up at the sky recently?" He asked, his grey eyes searching her face.

Chloe nodded, an uneasily feeling slowly spreading in her stomach. Her hesitation was confirmation enough for the old man.

"And what did you feel?" He continued, rising his eyebrows slightly.

Chloe remembered when she had looked up into the sky from her hospital bed, staring up into the clouds that felt like the silent harbinger of something sinister. She bit her lips, hesitating for the briefest of moments. "I felt uneasy, but I had just been shot and…"

The priest held up his hand, stopping her mid-sentence.

"Does it scare you detective?" The priest asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he measured her.

Chloe felt her head spin, a cold, sickening feeling spreading in her stomach. The smell of incense assaulted her nostrils, making her head spin. If she did not leave she would have to throw up. She staggered to her feet, struggling to stand upright. She pressed her lips together, fighting to regain her composure as she answered his question.

"No father it doesn't. I neither believe in god nor the devil, hence I fear neither of them. What I want is to find whoever caused this..."

She swayed a little. She had to get out of this building now. She held out her hand to the priest, determined to end this conversation now. "Thank you father, you have been very helpful."

She swayed again, visibly this time.

"Detective, are you all right?" The priest asked, reaching for her arm.

He pulled his hand back immediately as if burned, his eyes widening as he looked at her with something like fear in his eyes.

Chloe stepped back from him irritably and flashed him a forced smiled. "Of course. Good bye father."

She turned, all but running from the church. She could feel his eyes on her back as she walked down the central nave towards the exit.

As the double winged door closed behind her, he made the sign of the cross. "May god protect us all…"

Suddenly the light inside the church dimmed and he looked up at the colourful glass windows.

"Good evening father."

He spun around, his eyes coming to rest on the tall, dark-haired man that leaned leisurely against a pillar behind the altar. He felt suddenly cold, a vague feeling of dread spreading in his stomach. The candles on the altar flickered, the flames moving unnaturally, like watching a video in reserve.

The priest swallowed hard, trying to fight the growing unease he felt. "Who are you?"

"Oh come now father, you know who I am…" The man replied, his dark eyes resting on him.

The candles flickered, the flames elongating suddenly.

"Oh my god." The priest whispered, crossing himself.

Lucifer chuckled, his eyes flashing red for the briefest of moments. "Not quite…"

"You are not welcome here!" The priest whispered, his voice shaking with terror as he lifted the heavy cross that hung around his neck, holding it up before him like a shield.

Lucifer chuckled, pushing himself away from the stone pillar and walking leisurely towards the priest. "How do you expect to defeat me when you are but a man, and I am forever?"

"The power of god will defeat you." The priest replied, his voice shaking as he slowly retreated backwards, his eyes fixed on Lucifer.

"Ah, the power of god…" Lucifer pursed his lips, as if considering his reply, then he cocked his head, a sly grin on his lips as he watched flames envelop the cross that the priest held in his direction, the metal melting in his hand. "It seems that he has failed you father, you are all alone."

The priest screamed, dropping the searing hot metal cross, his eyes widening as he watched it melt into a glowing puddle at his feet. He stumbled backward in terror until his back hit the marble pillar behind him. He was trapped.

He stared at Lucifer, the terror in his eyes suddenly replaced by determination. „I don't fear you."

Lucifer chuckled softly. „Oh, you have no reason to father. Stay out of my way and I will stay out of yours."

The priest stared at him, shaking his head slightly in confusion. Lucifer chuckled softly, turning to look at the oil painting on the left of the alter. He nodded at the painting, his eyes fixed on the apocalyptic scene that was displayed on the canvas.

"We both know what is coming father, but the girl, she does not." He stepped closer to the painting studying it carefully before he continued to speak. "She will return here soon and she will seek answers to her questions. Answers only you can provide. The choice to give her what she is looking for is yours alone father, but know this - her ignorance is your salvation father, your silence will ensure your place in heaven." He said softly, then he turned around, his eyes growing red. "Defy me and I will return for you and every single one of your flock…"

Then he was gone, like he had never been there. The priest stared at the spot where he had stood, then he lifted his hand. The burn wound was gone. Swallowing hard, he looked down at the floor – the molten puddle of metal was gone, instead his eyes came to rest on the cross he had held only moments ago, it was unscathed. He fell to his knees, reaching for the cross.

* * *

Chloe closed her eyes, her hands resting against the cold ceramic of the toilet seat. Her whole body was shaking violently and her mouth tasted of bile. She waited, trying to control her breathing. Slowly the sickening feeling in her stomach subsided.

She waited for what seemed like an eternity, then she pushed herself up, unsure whether her legs would support her weight as she walked over to the couch and slumped into it.

She could not do this alone, not in her condition. She reached for her phone and pressing her lips together, she dialled Lucifer's number. It rang once, then he picked up.

"Hello detective, miss me already?" He asked mockingly.

Chloe sighed, wondering for the briefest of moments whether this was really a good idea. "Lucifer… I need your help."

"Ah detective, of course, I'm always at your disposal. I'll be right there." He said smoothly.

"Lucifer..." She replied, but he had already hung up. Groaning she let her head fall back against the couch.

Her trip to the church had just confirmed what she had known all along – that all of this religious nonsense was just that, nonsense. But no matter how utterly absurd the priest's warnings about the end of the world were, it could not be a coincidence that tree people had killed themselves over this very superstition within the past twenty-four hours. There had to be something more at work – she was sure that someone had deliberately caused these people to kill themselves and in one instance others and whoever it was, he or she had to be stopped.

But whatever crazy theories Dan was spinning, she was sure Lucifer was not the one responsible, even though his resignation from his position at the LAPD looked more than suspicious for anyone who wanted to see it that way. But while she was sure that Lucifer was innocent - at least in the strictest sense of the term - she also knew beyond any doubt that he was hiding something from her and whatever it was, she was sure it would help her find the monster who was responsible.

She was suddenly interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Turning her head, she saw Lucifer step into her living room.

"Hello detective, you look like you belong back in hospital." He said, leisurely walking over to her and lowering himself into a comfortably chair opposite her.

She stared at him for a moment, momentarily stunned by his sudden appearance. Pressing her lips together, she pushed herself up, groaning softly at the faint pain in her side. Shaking her head softly, she stared at him.

"Lucifer, what the hell is going on? You resigned from you position at the LAPD and your name has been found at three different crime scenes. You know what is going on, don't you?"


	9. Chapter 9

"Ah detective, I'm the devil, of course I know what's going on." Lucifer replied, leaning back in his chair and studying her with a mocking glint in his eyes.

"Damn you Lucifer, this is serious, people are dead and your name is quite literally written on the wall. So stop lying to me, stop telling me you are the devil. I want the truth. Now."

He found her eyes, studying her silently for a moment - then he nodded. "Very well detective, you have asked for it, far be it from me to deny you this request." He held out his hand, gesturing at the case files she was holding. "The answer is in the files."

"How do you know that, you haven't even seen them…?" She asked, handing him the envelope containing a thick stack of documents.

"Come now Detective, this has never stopped me before."

She gave a non-committal snort as she watched him take the files and flip through the material swiftly, with a sureness that made clear that he must have seen the files before – somehow.

He smiled triumphantly as he pulled the page from the folder, placing the crumpled sheet on the table between them.

 _"At the end of days, his sign will lead mankind astray."_

Chloe stared at the words for a moment, shaking her head. "I don't understand."

"These men and women died because they feared the coming of a terrible event, the day of reckoning, the apocalypse, the thing where…"

"Lucifer, I know what the apocalypse is." Chloe interrupted him angrily. "I don't understand… Why now?"

He studied her quietly and Chloe suddenly felt uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Don't you?" Lucifer asked.

Chloe felt a sudden chill at his words. It was as if he were looking deep inside her mind—into her dark memories: the pain, the misery, the secrets of her soul. She felt a strange, tingling sensation run up her spine, a distant fear, a premonition of what was to come. She looked away and the strange sensation passed.

"I… Well, it ridiculous, but anyways, I went to the church this morning. It was just a hunch..." She looked at him, shaking her head, suddenly feeling nervous. "It was... it was really strange. I mean it all complete and utter nonsense, but the priest told me to look up at the sky. At that moment it felt weird, I mean almost genuinely threatening, but it must have been the side-effect of the medication they had given me at the hospital. I mean if I look out of the window no, it doesn't look very " _apocalyptic"_ to me."

"This is because you do not look closely enough detective." He said, raising from the chair and holding out his hand to her. "Come, I will show you."

Hesitating a moment, she pushed herself up from the couch, ignoring his outstretched hand. Raising his eyebrows in silent disapproval as her dismissive gesture he turned to the window, nodding at the sun. "There is a star, to the right of the sun."

Chloe stepped closer, squinting her eyes against the bright light of the sun, her eyes finding the small, bright white dot on the horizon.

"This is the planet Venus, also known as the Morning Star. Every day it raises with the sun, announcing the beginning of a new day. At dusk and dawn, it can easily be seen with the naked eye if one knows when and where to look, but during the day the star fades in the sun's bright light."

"But it's in the middle of the afternoon…"

"Exactly, Venus should not be visible at day."

"Okay, so this is some freak astronomical event - still what does this have to do with our murder victims, surely they did not kill themselves simply over the sighting of a star."

"This is where you are mistaken detective, you see the Latin name of the Morning Star is _Lucifer_ \- I am pretty sure even an atheist such as yourself can put that name into the right context."

"Lucifer, not this devil nonsense again." She said, unable to hide the exasperation from her voice.

"It's not nonsense if you believe in it detective." He looked at her for a moment, studying her pensively before he continued. "And all those who doubt the devil's existence here on the mortal plane will have to confront the uncomfortable truth at a later stage."

"Yeah, when they are dead, sure. Whatever Lucifer... So let's focus on the facts. You're saying that our victims were part of some sect, that they were some kind of religious fanatics?"

"No detective, they were no fanatics, not members of any religious sect and in most cases they were not even religious until a few months ago." He replied quietly.

"Okay, we have a bunch of hobby astronomers, who aren't religious and then they see some kind of freak astronomical constellation and suddenly they believe the apocalypse is coming and kill themselves. Give me a break Lucifer. There must be someone who is responsible, some kind of guru who fostered their believe that the world is coming to an end and that the only way out is to kill themselves."

Lucifer chuckled. "It was not a belief detective, it was certainty."

"What?" She pressed her hand against her forehead, trying to fight the throbbing headache that seemed to gain in intensity every second. "Lucifer, this is complete and utter rubbish…"

"Mommy, mommy, daddy is here." Trixi ran into the living room. "Lucifer!" She exclaimed as she spotted him, running over to him to wrap her arms around his legs.

Dan stepped into the room, quietly observing the scene before him.

"Lucifer." He said curtly, nodding at him.

"Detective Douche, what a pleasure." Lucifer replied, carefully freeing himself from Trixie's embrace.

"Chloe, we need to speak now. Alone." Dan said, his eyes never leaving Lucifer's.

"Yeah, ahm… Let's go upstairs. Lucifer, can you watch Trixie for a moment?" Chloe said, clearly irritated by Dan's behavior.

"He should go." Dan said, taking a step in Lucifer's direction.

Chloe grabbed his arm, her irritation turning to barely veiled anger "Dan, that's enough. Let's go upstairs."

Chloe started to walk up the staircase and Dan followed her reluctantly, visibly uncomfortable to leave Trixie behind with Lucifer.

Trixie sat down on the carpet, looking up at Lucifer with wide eyes. "Why was Mommy so angry with you?"

Lucifer pursed his lips, staring down at the little girl. "Ah, you see your Mother is occasionally very stubborn and refuses to see things that are right in front of her."

"Oh you mean like the star?" Trixie asked.

Lucifer's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he studied the girl. Either the little one was far more perceptive than he had ever thought possible or one of his brothers had just crossed a line which he would regret overstepping for all eternity.

"That's why you gave me this, right?" She whispered secretively, holding up the pendant she wore around her neck.


	10. Chapter 10

He lowered himself to one knee before the little girl, studying her carefully before he nodded. "Well technically the pendant it's a gift from Maze, it will spare you… pain when the hour comes."

"But you did something to it, didn't you?" She asked, lowering her voice as if she was sharing an important secret with him.

He smiled, his nod barely perceptible. "Yes I did. I placed a charm on it."

"What does it do?" She asked, her eyes wide.

"Do you prefer the philosophical answer or just the easy one little human?"

Trixie shrugged her shoulders, thinking about his question for a moment. "I think the easy one."

He smiled. "Ah, I was afraid that you would opt for the easy one. But very well. Let's go outside, we don't want your parents to eavesdrop." He said, holding out his hand to help her up.

She ran out onto the veranda, waiting for Lucifer to step outside and close the door behind him. He followed her, his eyes tracing over the sea that stretched out to the horizon, then he turned to Trixie.

"Sit."

Trixie hesitated for a moment, then she somewhat reluctantly followed his command and slumped down on the wide rattan chair, pulling her feet up and placing them on the white cushion.

Lucifer lowered himself in the chair opposite her, studying her pensively for a moment. "You must know little one, that men would sell their very soul for the knowledge I am bestowing on you, so guard it well."

Trixie nodded eagerly, staring at him expectantly.

"I know you asked for the easy explanation, but allow me to place everything into a little context." He said, leaning back in the chair, his eyes resting on her. "You see good and evil, darkness and light, right and wrong, they are two sides of the same coin. The two forces hold each other in balance. The divine system means balance, it brings order to the chaos. But a few days ago… something happened that upset that balance, tipping it in favour of evil."

Trixie thought about what he said for a moment. "So that's why everything is so strange, like the star?"

He smiled. "Exactly. The balance is upset and darkness is spreading across the world."

"But you stand for the dark side, so shouldn't you be happy if you win."

He chuckled softly at her remark. "Of course I always like to win, but the problem with games is that if someone wins the game ends."

"And you want to go on playing?" Trixie asked, nodding in understanding.

He smiled. "Oh yes, I do. The problem is that the white king is already check mate and I have to shake the chessboard enough to reset the status quo."

"So how do you do this?" Trixie asked, her eyes growing wider with every word.

A sudden gust of wind made them both look up. Clouds suddenly started to cover the sky, and the air around them grew colder. Lucifer rose slowly from his chair. He could feel it. He was here.

"Show yourself brother." He whispered.

The air suddenly seemed to shift and move, time seemed to slow and suddenly a tall, blond man with icy blue eyes materialised out of thin air.

Lucifer chuckled softly, bowing his head mockingly. "Welcome Gabriel, always so dramatic. Tell me brother, have you come to grovel at my feet and beg for mercy?"

Gabriel chuckled. "You will never win, I will not allow it."

Lucifer chuckled. "Oh Gabriel, there is nothing you can do to stop me, if you dare to raise a hand against me brother, I will drag you down to hell with me and make you beg for my mercy until the end of time."

"I would never dare to raise my hand against Satan himself." He smirked, looking down at the Trixie who was covering in the chair. "No. I am only here to claim what is mine. The one soul that is truly pure, untouched by evil." He stepped forward, the eerie glow in his eyes seemed to gain in intensity. "You wanted to spare the little human, so you gave her a token, a potent charm in the form of an amulet to ensure that darkness could never touch her." He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "It is truly ironic that it is the devil's power that protects the only pure soul from darkness."

And then it all happened in the fraction of a moment. Gabriel reached for Trixie. Time suddenly sped up again. Trixie screamed, covering her head with her hands as a wave of dark, potent magic enveloped them all.

Gabriel screamed in agony, his eyes full horror as he spread his wings – their brilliant white wings covered in a thick, black, dripping substance that seemed to move of its own volition. Suddenly the black crust split open and glowing lava leaked from the crack, burning the glowing white feathers to cinders.

Lucifer chuckled softly. "I will enjoy watching you burn brother."

The door was yanked open. Trixie struggled in Gabriel's iron grip, trying to struggle free as she screamed for her mother.


	11. Chapter 11

Lucifer felt her presence, her fear, her terror and the love for her daughter which overshadowed every other feeling that was raging within her. She would die to save her. He closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, focusing his mind on her. She would hate him for all eternity for what he was about to do. He lifted his hand in a dismissive, almost lazy gesture. Chloe sank to her knees, held by invisible bonds to keep her from harm. Then he focused his attention back on his brother, his eyes glowing red with rage as he watched his sibling hold the struggling child in a vice-like grip.

"The child is mine, she bears my mark, let her go or I will make you suffer for all eternity brother." He said softly, watching as the ground beneath his brother's feet began to boil and coiling strings of lava began to wind up his legs like snakes.

"She would have been yours brother, like all the other damned souls that roam the earthly plane. But it was you, who kept the girl from darkness, because you needed her as leverage. Truly ironic, isn't it, that it is your own magic that keeps her out of your grasp." He said, his voice strained from the pain as the searing hot magma slowly crept up his body. "You only needed one pure soul, only one to prove that mankind is still worthy; it would have been enough to save them from ultimate destruction and give them another chance at your terms. And this was all you wanted, was it not brother - To continue the game with new rules, rules set by you so you could keep your little pet out of harms way. There was only one problem, there was no pure soul or at least there would be none once you unleashed your power. So you created one, you gave the girl the pendant that would keep her from the darkness, you kept her pure so that you could use her for your own gains."

Lucifer's eyes wandered down to Trixie for the briefest of moments, watching her struggle desperately in his brother's grip. He felt the dismal, paralyzing fear that filled her. He directed his eyes back to his brother.

"And what will you do about it brother?" He asked softly, his voice dangerously quiet as he spoke. "It is my turn to throw the dice. I've set my pieces carefully, disturb only one and it will be the end. You cannot win brother - if you fight, I will destroy you before I drag mankind down to hell with me."

"But their destruction is not what you want, is it brother?" Gabriel continued, his hand still holding the struggling girl in an iron grip as his eyes found Chloe. "You want your little pet to be safe, even if her safety comes at the cost of your defeat. So I will leave you with a choice brother, destroy everything, even the one thing that you so desperately seek to protect or walk away and return to your lair."

And then it all happened in the fraction of a moment. Gabriel bent down and placed a gentle kiss on Trixie's hair. In the fraction of a moment the life began to fade from the girl's eyes. She stilled, feeling Lucifer's dark, potent power reach for her to pull her back from the abyss, but it was too late. Mustering all her strength, she reached for the delicate necklace that hung around her neck. Looking up at Lucifer, she curled her fingers around the delicate white-gold chain, breaking it as she passed.

Lucifer's eyes flashed red as the little girl slumped to the floor at his brother's feet, her lifeless fingers still clasping the broken chain, the small, glittering pendant laying impotently in the neatly cut gross beside her body.

Suddenly everything went quiet, as if nothing could existing in the face of Satan's diabolical rage. The ground began to shake and the afternoon sky became eerily dark. A cold, sharp wind picked up, its howling mingling with the dreadful screams of the damned that howled in terror at their master's terrible rage.

"You will suffer for all eternity brother, away from his light, darkness as your only companion - and it will be a pleasure to watch you wither in the dark." Lucifer said, his voice like ice.

Lucifer as saw the fear in his brother's eyes give way to utter terror as he felt his dark power wash over him. With nothing more than a thought he willed hell's eternal flames to rise up to the surface of the earth watching with a cold, sadistic smile as the flames rose along his brother's legs, reaching the tips of his wings and creeping up his arms. Their eyes met, never breaking contact as the deadly flames enveloped Gabriel, consuming his towering form until nothing was left, not even cinders.

Lucifer closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, controlling his diabolical rage, reigning-in its destructive power so it could not touch the women that cowered on the ground behind him. He could feel her grief and pain wash over him like a storm. He released her from the invisible bonds that had kept her from her daughter. She screamed like a wounded animal as she staggered forward, falling to her knees beside the lifeless body of her child.

She was oblivious to his presence as she cradled Trixie against her chest, crying bitterly as she held her. The grief was almost physically painful. She remained still for what seemed like an eternity, crying helplessly over her daughter's lifeless, broken body. He simply watched as she slowly regained an awareness of her surroundings. Pulling Trixie's lifeless body closer to her chest, she looked up, her eyes searching the eerie dark sky.

"Oh god please." She whispered, her voice breaking with her tears. "Please giver her back."

"He cannot hear you Chloe, he has forsaken this world and left it to my care." Lucifer said softly, stepping closer to her and lowering himself to one knee before her huddled, kneeling form.

She looked up at him with vacant, hollow eyes. "It is true, it has been true all along." She whispered, her voice trembling ever so slightly. "You're the devil."

"Yes." He said softly, lifting his hand to brush away a tear.

She flinched away from his touch, her fear of him competing with the dismal grief that raged in her chest. He withdrew his hand, not wanting to frighten her any more than necessary.

"I never meant for you to know, not truly, not like this." He said gently.

He watched her, feeling the grief and pain that flowed through her body, her fear of him and what he stood for - but there was something else, just a spark of it. Hope. And it grew stronger, as did the fear. He knew the words before she spoke them, knew that she was afraid of the price he would name but willing to accept it nonetheless for her daughter's sake, regardless of what it would mean for her.

"Please Lucifer, give her back to me." She finally whispered, her voice shaking with fear and grief. "Whatever you want in return, its yours."


	12. Chapter 12

Trixie wandered along the bridge that led across a fiery lake to a diabolical structure that towered high above her like menacing giant. She was afraid, more than she had ever been in her life. She wanted to cry, but it was impossible - the devil did not grant the damned the consolation of tears, he did not allow them to ease their suffering.

Lucifer watched her from the shadows as she crossed the bridge. Just like every other soul that stepped into his domain, she had to cross the bridge of the damned and follow it to the very end, knowing that eternal suffering would wait at its end. He could not spare her this path, but he could bestow on her a gift he had rarely given before, the only gift the devil could bestow in his dark domain - hope.

She felt his presence before she could see him, it comforted her, protected her from the shadows that tried to reach for her soul to drag it into the pits. Her eyes found his shadowy figure waiting for her on the other side of the bridge.

She ran as fast as she could. The heat and screams seemed to intensify the closer she got to the castle. But she did not care, she had to get to the other side, no matter what.

She called out his name as she closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him, desperately seeking the comfort that his presence promised. For once he did not cringe away at the unwelcome gesture - instead lifting her up with a swift movement.

"Lucifer." Trixie whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Don't be afraid Beatrice, I will keep you safe." He said gently, hoping that his words would sooth the child.

"Were is mommy?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"Do not worry, little one, I'm with her, nothing can happen to her." He said gently.

"But you're here..." She said, shaking her head.

"I'm the devil little one, trust me, it works." He said, holding her close. "Now close your eyes."

She looked up at him. He could see the fear that lingered in her eyes, the fear of what the devil would do to her if she followed his request.

"Trust me." He said softly, hoping his gentle words were enough to convince the girl that no harm would come to her.

She nodded hesitatingly, then she closed her eyes slowly, allowing him to cradle her against his shoulder. He placed his hand against the back of her head, ensuring that she would not look up at him, shielding her from the horror of his true form, parting time and space as he took them right into the heart of his dark domain.

Trixie looked up, irritated by the complete absence of sound in the vast room.

He placed her onto the steps before the massive throne, sitting down beside her on the steps. Hesitating for the briefest of moments, she sat down beside him.

"Why is it so quiet here?" She asked, her voice betraying her fear.

"Nothing can exist here, not even sound." He said softly, suddenly aware that his answer did nothing to assuage her fears. "But don't worry little one, noting can happen as long as I'm around."

She looked at him, hesitating for the briefest of moments before she spoke up. "I'm sorry that I broke the necklace. You said in the hospital that it would only work as long as I kept it on... and I thought that if I break it he would have to let me go. I'm so sorry."

"There is nothing to be sorry about Beatrice, you were very brave." He said gently, looking down at her with something akin to affection.

She nodded, looking down at her hands to hide her fear. When she continued to speak her voice was barely more than a whisper. "You let mommy go after she came here... I was dreaming about it."

Lucifer clenched his fist, he would make Amenadiel pay for this.

"Yes, I did." He said gently, hiding his anger from the child at his side.

"Will you let me go too?" She asked, her voice trembling ever so slightly, betraying the turmoil of emotions that she felt.

"I fear it is not quite that simple child." He said gently.

"So why is it different?"

He studied her carefully before he continued. "You see the events that surrounded your mother's death upset the divine balance that I have told you about. Darkness was beginning to spread across the world and I was forced to intervene to restore the divine order. I could have chosen the simple way, but it would have come at the cost of your mother's soul."

"And you didn't want that, did you?" Trixie asked, nodding.

"No, I didn't. So I opted for the only alternative." He said, his eyes fixed on hers.

"You mean the end of the world?" She asked, her eyes wide.

"It is not exactly the end of the world that I want." He studied her for a moment, contemplating his answer. "You see, this game that I am playing is like a divine chess match, it has very clear rules to which every player must adhere. The deal is that I cannot bring about the end of the world just because I feel like it, mankind has to give me reason to do so. This means that before the end I set them a final task: essentially a test or a trap, whatever you want to call it. If mankind prevails, the game goes on for another round, but on my terms and according to my rules. However, if they fail, the game will end for good."

"And you wanted to change the rules, so you could safe mommy." Trixi whispered, staring at him with wide eyes.

"This was very much what I had in mind. But in order for me to play another round, mankind had to prove worthy of another chance." He looked at her, studying her pensively. "So I walked among mankind, searching for one that was pure, worthy of another chance, but there was none. Wherever I looked I saw men eagerly offering up their souls to me in a pointless attempt to make their dismal existence worthwhile. I knew that mankind would fail if it were tested, so I had to make sure that there was one, only one that could withstand the temptation. - And this is where you come into play. I picked you." He said, staring at the small pendant that suddenly appeared in his hand. "I gave you he pendant, knowing that the darkness I would unleash on the world could not touch you as long as you wore it. But when you broke the necklace, the last pure soul on earth became tainted by darkness. The moment you died, the game ended for good. I cannot send you back because at this point there is nothing to send you back to."

"What will happen now?" She asked, her voice trembling ever so slightly, betraying her fear.

"Don't worry little one, I'll figure something out, I always do - but I doubt that your mother will be very pleased about it." He said, giving her a wink. "In the meantime I'm afraid that you'll have to stay here."

He saw the fear in her eyes at his words, the terror of having to stay here, surrounded by the horrors of hell.

"Don't worry Beatrice, I'm willing to bend the rules for you to make this more comfortable." He said gently. "You see, when someone dies, they come here to be sentenced and I will punish them according to their sins. But without a verdict, there is no punishment - so instead of going through every lie, every moment of greed, every single piece of stolen chocolate cake I will delay the verdict and simply bench you until I can send you back." He said, waving his hand.

The vast, eerie throne room vanished from their sight, slowly morphing into a flowery clearing that stretched out as far as the eye could see. They were sitting in the knee high grass atop of a small hill, overlooking the bountiful valley that spread out below their eyes.

"Where are we?" She asked, her voice full of wonder as she looked around, taking in her surroundings with something akin to delight.

He smiled, pleased at her reaction. "Everyone that comes to my domain will get something that you could consider as... their own personal space. And this is what it looks like before it is touched by the sins of the damned. It has the outward semblance of Eden and mind you it holds its very own tree of knowledge - at least for you." He stretched out his hand and a small, black box appeared in it. It looked plain, completely devoid of any ornaments.

"This box holds your sins. Now when I speak your verdict, I open the box, releasing your sins on your guilty conscience. Your sins will then roam free and transform paradise into your own personal hell."

He rose to his feet, looking down at the little girl. "Remember Beatrice, as long as the box remains closed, you are safe. Do not touch it, however great the temptation."

 **Authors Note:**

Thanks for reading and all the support and nice comments! I case you are interested (and keen to support me on a new platfom), I have published this story along with other works on **Wattpad** as well - my penname is **Gabrielleestres**.


	13. Chapter 13

_I contemplated for a long time whether I want to take this turn in the story, but Lucifer is the devil after all and I really wanted to let him out to play._

* * *

Lucifer's eyes traced along the floor and walls of the vast room, appreciating the smooth, polished stone that looked like the black waters of an enchanted lake. The vast space was completely silent, wrapped in darkness that was impenetrable to all but his eyes. He smiled softly into the darkness - he had created this room for one sole purpose and now the day had finally arrived and he would relish every moment of it.

He lifted his arm and stretched it out towards the wall. The black stone came to life, moving like a living thing at its master's command, shifting and changing at his will. He closed his hand, his lips curling in a contemptuous sneer as the shifting mass formed into a rose window of breath-taking beauty, the artfully crafted stained glass illuminated by a soft, ethereal light.

"Tell me Gabriel, do you miss His light?" Lucifer asked softly as he shifted his gaze from the window to the angel kneeling below it.

Gabriel lifted his head, staring up into the light, his arms trembling softly from the strain of holding his body upright against the invisible force that kept him on his knees.

Lucifer observed him silently, relishing the terror he saw in his brother's eyes as he gazed upon the diabolical depiction high above his head - a seraph, crucified upside down, staring into light that he would never gaze upon again as a demonic creature lifted is clawed hand to take his eyes.

"Beautiful, is it not?" He asked softly as he stepped closer to him, his cold, dark eyes fixed on his brother's trembling form. "Tell me brother, is it hard to imagine that you will never see it again?"

Gabriel screamed in anger, his eyes gleaming with an eerie light as he looked up at his brother. "I will throw you back into the pit from whence you came!"

Lucifer smiled, watching his brother fight the rage that filled him. "So much anger, so much hate, give in to it, join me… "

"Never." Gabriel whispered.

Lucifer nodded. "You sealed your own fate brother."

Gabriel closed his eyes, fighting the anger that threatened to overcome him. "I am not like you Lucifer."

"No, you are not, because I would have chosen the victor's side."

"I may kneel before you Lucifer, but the victory is still mine." Gabriel said softly, rising his chin in defiance. "The girl is dead, there is no hope for mankind – all that is left for you to do is to choose the manner of your defeat: destroy them along with the one you seek to protect or bow to the rule of our father."

"Do you truly think that you would be here, kneeling at my feet, if you had defeated me?" Lucifer slowly lowered himself to one knee before Gabriel. "Oh brother, you are here because I willed it so and you live because I want you to bear witness of what is to come."

"The girl is dead." Gabriel said scornfully.

"The girl is dead because I allowed it." Lucifer said softly, his eyes searching those of his brother. "She is dead because I needed you here, like this, in my power."

A cruel smile spread slowly across Lucifer's face as he watched the triumph in his brother's eyes give way to utter terror.

"It was a trap. You planned all of this. You knew that I would come to end the girl's life to thwart your plans. You could have stopped me, but you allowed it to happen, you allowed me to kill the child to get me here." Gabriel whispered, his voice shaking as he spoke.

"And how perfectly my plan has worked out… now I have both you and the child in my power."

"The child…" Gabriel whispered, realisation dawning in his eyes. "It is not the child that will deliver mankind from the apocalypse, is it brother? You chose Chloe - and you need both the child and me to achieve your plans."

"How exceptionally observant you are." Lucifer said softly, bowing his head in a derisive demonstration of respect. "You see, no matter what I made you all believe, the child's soul would not have been enough to save mankind, because true virtue cannot be forced, it cannot be gifted, it can only be earned. She is not the one I need, but she is the key that gives me control over the one thing that I cannot touch."

"Free will…" Gabriel whispered. "Chloe has to act of her own volition, she must knowingly and willingly consent to what you ask of her…" Gabriel pressed his eyes shut for the briefest of moments before he looked up at Lucifer. "…and she will do anything to save her child."

"Yes, she will."

"When you bestowed your gift on the child I was fooled into believing that it was out of care, I foolishly hoped that the light you once carried had not faded completely, that somewhere deep within you, you still carried some compassion and mercy – but your gift was not that of salvation, it was the gift of death." Gabriel's lips curled in disgust. "You truly deserve your place as lord of hell..."

Lucifer chuckled softly, but his eyes held no mirth. "You have no idea what manner of creature I am brother and you cannot even fathom the depths I can sink to in order to get what I want."

"No matter what you do Lucifer, in the end, light will win."

Lucifer flicked his hand in a dismissive gesture and the smooth stone on which he knelt turned into water.

"Does it feel like it is winning now?" Lucifer asked, his tone deceptively soft as he watched the hearted and contempt in his brother's eyes turn into fear as he began to sink into the black water as if pulled forward by an unseen demonic power.

He was drowning. Drowning in a sea of guilt, shame and despair. With a hoarse scream, he reached for his brother.

"Make it stop, please."


End file.
